ARE YOU BUILDING?

 

Are You Building?

Be aware!! A contractor’s signature on a contract does not insure quality, price or performance. Unfortunately, home owners frequently learn this through experience.

The following suggestions may help assure an enjoyable building experience. Review these items before hiring a contractor.
1. View a job currently under construction by the contractor and view a completed job.
2. Inquire with the local building inspector about your contractor.
3. Talk with a homeowner who is currently having a house built by the contractor and with one who is living in a finished home.
4. Ask for bank and trade references.
5. View contractor’s place of business and make note of office support.
6. Ask how long the contractor has been in business.
7. Carefully compare different contractor’s specifications.
8. Insist upon certificates of insurance.
These types of inquiries are not offensive to a professional contractor and they are certainly justified when considering the amount of money you may be entrusting to him.
Price means nothing unless supported by detailed plans and specifications.
These examples hold true for most every component in a house. Some are far more important than others, however, the point is, “cost is meaningless” unless you know what you are buying.

In addition to the quality of the components, the completeness of the construction project affect cost. Often, items such as walks , driveways, landscaping, appliances, only to mention a few obvious items, are excluded from home construction costs. Less obvious items, such as security systems, mirrors, bath accessories and under valued allowance items, are even more likely to be overlooked by a non-suspecting customer. There is no easier way to lessen cost than to exclude items. Again this may not be wrong provided the customer is aware of what is and is not included in the “the cost”.
People build a home because they want something new, because they have particular “wants” or have located a desirable site. It is important to remember that your contractor is working for you, or should be. Building should be exciting and fun. The key to a successful building project is good communication and mutual trust between contractor and customer as well as accurate and detailed plans and specifications.

When planning your home, ask your contractor to make you aware of your different options relative to quality and price of both structural and decorative components. Include all the items you feel you would really like to have and be prepared to compromise if price dictates. This approach is more realistic and lessens the likelihood that you will encounter future surprises.
Building a new home should be a dream come true. A thorough and realistic approach coupled with a helpful and honest contractor can ensure this dream does not turn into a nightmare.

Plan Development Policy
Reagan Construction Ltd. Offers in-house architectural service for the purpose of developing house plans tailored to meet specific individual preferences as to house styles, size, floor plan layout, custom built-in features, orientation to site and more.
Plans are developed in three steps. A preliminary plan is developed first, showing a floor plan layout with room sizes, window location and door locations. The client is responsible for reviewing the floor plan layout to be sure it meets his requirements. Revisions, if needed, should be made on the preliminary floor plans.
The second step occurs after the client expresses satisfaction with the preliminary plan. This step is the development of all four elevations of the proposed house. The client is responsible for reviewing the elevations to be sure they are aesthetically pleasing.
The final step is the development of the foundation plan and the cross-section plan to show structural bearing framing members.
In summary, a full set of construction drawings includes the following:
1. Floor plans
2. Elevations
3. Foundation plan
4. Cross-sections
Construction Talk – Costs
One of the first thoughts that comes to mind when the average person is thinking about having a home constructed is cost. The most important thing to remember about the cost is that it is meaningless! Unless you, the consumer, know that items , as well as the quality of the items, that are included in “the cost”.
Most contractors recognize that the lowest bidder generally gets the job. Contractors are also aware that the average consumer has no idea of the large number of varying quality components they can select to have included in their home. Frequently, contractors price homes with the least expensive components available in the hopes that they will be the lowest bidder: This is not wrong, provided the consumer is aware of the other available options and is willing to accept the consequences.
The old saying, “penny wise and pound foolish” is very relevant. Although there is and initial cost savings, you are ultimately short-changing yourself and over the longer term could spend twice the savings, maintaining or replacing items that were used to lessen the initial cost. The following are very obvious examples of this.
1. The labor to apply a 20 year warranty roof shingle is the same as the labor to apply a 25 year warranty roof shingle.
2. The labor to install a very good insulated glass window is the same as it would be to install an inferior window costing half as much.